


before sunrise

by breaktrio



Series: Tales of Blood [3]
Category: Inazuma Eleven
Genre: F/F, Mentions of Death, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Religious Themes, day 4 of inazuma eleven fantasy week, girls night out im rightttt, half fairy aki, high priestess natsumi, mentions of sickness, prompts castle / tavern
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28750782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breaktrio/pseuds/breaktrio
Summary: (day 4 of inazuma eleven fantasy week / prompt tavern or castle)Natsumi needs to rest.
Relationships: Kino Aki/Raimon Natsumi
Series: Tales of Blood [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2103825
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	before sunrise

**Author's Note:**

> day 4!  
> having a little bit of a mental breakdown but i still hope you enjoy this bc i love them

Natsumi lets her hair fall on her shoulders as she untangles her headpiece, rosey-brown locks of hair stuck around it. Every morning, she wears it proudly, even if it’s heavy, and it used to causing her back muscles to scream in pain and the gold strings fall into her face, making it hard for her to see, but it’s the symbol that makes her recognizable as High Priestess, so she wears it proudly, every day, not complaining even once and keeping her head high as she walks around the castle, her sandals clacking against the wood and the stone of the floors. 

She looks at her reflection in the mirror, dark circles under her eyes and her skin too pale and dry. As High Priestess, she has to look out for the Crown Prince, be his morale guide of some sorts. She knows every kind of magic, she knows the past, the present and the future better than anyone else; she is the one closest to the Gods, old and new, but even her, powerful, knowing Natsumi, could do anything to help their Prince, could do anything to prevent everything that happened.

She didn’t see it coming, the curse and the sickness, and she can’t forgive herself for that, the promise to the dying Queen to take care of her son still lingering on her lips. And her heart aches, everyday, as she sits next to the Prince and prays to their Gods to help him, help her, help them. 

They are not answering. They are on their own. She thinks about Yuuto, their Lord Advisor, closed in the Library to find some solutions, just in case. She thinks about Mamoru, King Regent, tears in his eyes as he sailed for the South, not knowing if he would come back alive, figures with a cure. Kyousuke, little, proud and full of regret Kyousuke, never leaving his best friend’s bed as he promises to himself to be better, to help him better.

The castle makes her suffocate, she can’t breathe inside of its walls. She is tired, she isn’t sleeping well, praying every night, worrying herself over the Prince, the Kingdom, the Future. She can’t see what is going to happen, if the Prince will survive this, if the Kingdom will still be in their hands, after his death. 

There are more responsibilities over her shoulders, now that Mamoru isn’t here. She has to tend to the King Regent and the Prince’s duties, not letting their people know that one is away and the other is sick. They need to keep the apparences, the Kingdom can’t suffer more than it already has, the memory of the last war still embossed in the older generations mind. 

Natsumi has to breathe, her dress tied tight on her stomach. She needs fresh air, for the first time after being appointed by the Gods as High Priestess, she needs air, she needs to go away from her obligations, and this is so unlike her, high and mighty Natsumi. She is never burdened, she always knows what to do, but not this time. This time, she can’t think, she can’t sleep, she can’t eat. 

She has to leave. Just for tonight, just for a few hours. The Crown Prince will be fine, if she leaves for tonight. He has Kyousuke, hand ready on his sword, and Aoi, drying up his sweat after a bad nightmare. He has Shinsuke ready to call for Sakuma, the Chief of the Royal Guard. 

She can leave, she is sure. She doesn’t sense anything bad happening tonight, but if she has to be real with herself, her magic isn’t working as it supposed to be. That’s another thing she has to worry over. 

Natsumi tells her servant to leave as she changes her gown herself, silk caressing her skin as it falls on the floor. She opts to wear a kimono, simple, red and pink mixing together with petunias decorating it, made of cotton, warm and comfortable. 

She steals a glance from the mirror. She looks different, unrecognizable without the headpiece and valuable textiles, warm brown hair down, not tied up in a high bun, long enough to reach her thighs. 

Natsumi nods at herself, and barefoot, sandals in hand, she leaves. She looks back as her feet brush against the wood, to check if no one is around. She isn’t supposed to leave, at night, unsupervised, since the people after the Prince could be after her, as well. She doesn’t really care, she doesn’t need a guard protecting her, not right now. 

She knows the castle better than anyone, maybe only second to Yuuto, but he learned all the secrets of it because of his never ending hunger for knowledge. Natsumi, instead, can sense the magic inside the castle’s walls and floors, she can feel the incantations that protect it and put it together, and she can see where it ends, too, behind a wall on the first floor, next to the kitchen. Her fingers touch a specific stone and she pushes it with all her strength she has left. Slowly, the wall disappears slowly, leaving Natsumi in front of marble stairs, so black that they remember Natsumi of the Crown Prince’s wound. 

She shakes her head. Then, she puts her naked foot against the cold stone. 

Natsumi leaves the castle and its grounds undisturbed as the cold seeps into her skin. 

Natsumi knows where to go when she feels like this, it’s the same place every time and she doesn’t know why she is so attracted to it, that little tavern at the end of the village, next to the gates, not that far away from the harbor and the beaches. 

It’s not that populated, not at this hour, and most of its clients are travellers or criminals or sailors trying to find a place to stay for the night. 

Here, no one knows her. Well, that isn’t actually right, since one person does, and it’s probably one of the people Natsumi’s trust the most outside and inside of the castle. 

Natsumi sees her before she does as she serves a client, short hair loose on her shoulders and a kind smile on her lips. The innkeeper’s daughter works diligently, always gentle with her crowd of customers, not discriminating between royals (such as Natsumi and Mamoru) and criminals (as Tsunami and his crew). She gives out free food on Sundays, taking care of the children without parents in the village. 

She is also the most useful source of information in the Kingdom, nothing passes over her as she cleans, serves food, pours drinks and fixes bedrooms. The innkeeper’s daughter smiles as she learns all of your secrets, pixies pointy ears and green magical eyes shining in a mystical way. 

Natsumi is a little bit in love with her, just a bit. It’s more smitten than being in love but she can’t stop her heart from beating too fast and her mind clear of all of her thoughts about magic and responsibilities and the future of the Kingdom as she sees the innkeeper’s daughter, Aki. 

Natsumi walks over, where Aki is done with serving clients and she gets ready to clean all the dirty tables inside of the tavern. 

“Good evening,” she mumbles as Aki raises her head. 

“Hig--,” she stops herself, “I mean, Natsumi, good evening.”

Natsumi nods in approval. 

Aki looks back to check, “The usual?” 

Natsumi tilts her head in confusion, then she notices Aki’s hands twisting, the way she bites her bottom lip, “The usual,” Natsumi confirms. 

Aki puts down the cloth she was twisting between her fingers and disappears. 

Natsumi waits, tuning down the voices inside the tavern, people laughing and talking about their day, people complaining about their jobs, people yelling and drinking. Now, it’s silent. She is in a bubble, she can’t hear them and they can’t hear her. Them, as Aki steps into the bubble of magic Natsumi created. 

“I was waiting for you to show up,” Aki starts, almost slamming the pint of ale against the wood, “I don’t know if I can contact you.”

“You can, just ask Sakuma for me, I already told you,” Natsumi doesn’t move. 

“It’s more complicated than that, you know. How’s the Prince?” she asks, the twinkle in her eyes different from the one Natsumi is used to. 

“The same,” Natsumi sighs, “He doesn’t get better, but at least now he’s condition is stable.”

Aki’s fingers move up and down the counter. 

“I heard,” Aki mumbles, “I heard something you should know.”

“What?” Natsumi gets herself ready for another thing to worry about, lose sleep on and pray to the Gods for. 

Aki raises an eyebrow, “I’m worried about you, Natsumi,” and she puts her hand on Natsumi’s. 

Natsumi closes her eyes at the contact to remember how to breathe, “There is no need.”

“When was the last time you slept?” Aki questions her.

Natsumi lowers her head, long locks of hair falling into her face. 

“See, you need to sleep… you should stay. Just for tonight,” Aki’s hand leaves hers. 

Natsumi almost chokes on her own saliva as she registers Aki’s words. Then, she feels a callouses fingertip under her chin, and it’s Aki, making her raise her head. Aki’s hand is now against her cheek as she tugs strands of hair behind her ears, earrings brushing against her soft skin. 

“Stay for tonight, sleep with me. I’ll wake you up before sunrise,” Aki tells her. Natsumi isn’t used to being ordered around, she is the one who gives orders, usually, but it feels weird and she wants to let go so bad. 

“I can’t, the castle,” Natsumi tries to fight her, it, whatever it is. 

Aki shakes her head, “It’s the castle, the problem. Don’t you feel it?” 

Natsumi widens her eyes, “What?” 

Aki caresses her cheek, “It’s draining you trying to protect everyone. It feels violated, after the Prince was attacked inside of its walls. It’s draining everyone beside the Prince. I noticed it by looking at guards, and now you… you need to recharge or it will kill you before the King Regent reaches our shores.”

Natsumi touches Aki’s hand on her face, and she holds it, for dear life, “How do you know it?” 

“I’m half fairy, dear, I  _ can _ see it.” 

Natsumi gulps, mouth dry, “If I stay…”

“You’ll sleep with me, in my room.” 

Natsumi blushes. 

Aki smiles at her, then she stops touching Natsumi, “Drink your ale, High Priestess.”

Natsumi nods, then she remembers, hand on Aki’s wrist, “What you wanted to tell me?” 

“Oh, that!” she claps, “You are right! I heard from some sailors the other day that they spotted a pirate ship coming from the South. I don’t know if it’s the Oumihara…” 

Natsumi’s heart makes a double jump, “But it could be!” 

“It could be!” 


End file.
